THE WAKKER WEEKLY - Issue #1393 - Posted on: 09-Oct-2017

BUSHWAKKER NEWS

NEWS FROM THE BUSHWAKKER BREWERY. Bushwakker head brewer, MICHAEL GAETZ, reports our English Best Bitter, GRANNY’S BITTER is selling much faster than usual! Once our Oktoberfest beer, HARVEST LAGER, runs out the NORTHERN STRONG LAGER will return. Our autumn specialty brew, GREAT PUMPKIN SPICED BROWN ALE, will be released at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 7th – just in time for Thanksgiving! BUSHVAR CZECH PILS and another double batch of CHICO IPA are working their way through the brewery. Our next fruit beer offering will be the very popular BLOOD ORANGE BLONDE ALE.

Our guest tap is currently pouring the Oatmeal Session Pale Ale from the Black Bridge Brewery in Swift Current; $5.95 for a half pint and $7.95 for a pint. Next up is a Black Currant Kettle Sour from Nokomis Craft Ales in Nokomis, Saskatchewan.

Our premium wines for October are the INVISIBULL WINES from BC. The red is a Malbec and the white is a Sauvignon Blanc. Both are $7.50 for a glass and $19.95 for a half litre.

Bushwakker Brewpub’s Writers Corner Seeks Books! Our 2nd Edition Writers Corner Launch will take place on Saturday, November 11 at 3:00 PM. We are seeking donations of recent publications (2015-2017 publication dates) from Saskatchewan authors (all genres) to help expand our library within the Writers Corner. The goal is to gradually increase the size of the library each year. More book shelves will be installed as the number of books increases. The books in the corner library will be available for patrons interested in reading works by local authors and the books are to remain in the brewpub at all times. To be considered for the library, books must be a minimum of 40 pages and professionally bound. Please drop off a copy of your recently published book (along with purchasing information which can be shared with brewpub patrons) to Grant Frew at Bushwakker. You can email Grant at bar@bushwakker.com. Rotating individual author biographies and brief book synopsis are featured in the brewpub’s weekly newsletter and social media channels on a regular basis.

Your Thanksgiving fancy feast deserves a fancy growler of Bushwakker beer to go with it! Right now you can purchase one of our Hop Handle growlers with two newly designed JoeFafard/Bushwakker etched glasses and a complimentary growler fill at the time of purchase for only $70! Take your traditional Thanksgiving Dinner spread to the next level this year!

THANKSGIVING FANCY GROWLER PACKAGE

BUSHWAKKER EVENTS

Oct. 6: FIRST FIRKIN FRIDAY. Enjoy the pomp and circumstance of this long-standing Bushwakker monthly tradition. A keg of special beer is paraded throughout the brewpub in a procession led by a piper from The Regina Police Service Pipes & Drums. A volunteer is selected to wield the handmade wooden maul affectionately called The Mighty Firkin Wakker and attempt to tap the firkin in one mighty blow. Our October offering will be a special sneak peek firkin of our Great Pumpkin Spiced Brown Ale. The suds-soaking spectacle takes place at 5:30 PM.

Oct. 7: ANNUAL GREAT PUMPKIN SPICED BROWN ALE RELEASE. This will be Bushwakker head brewer, Michael Gaetz's new version of this autumn specialty brew. He has a revised plan on how the ginger component of this pumpkin pie-like ale will be introduced into the beer. He is confident this year's offering will not disappoint! Be sure to pick up some bottles or a growler fill for the Thanksgiving weekend!

Oct. 13: SASK VS. OTTAWA. Kickoff is at 8:00 PM. Enjoy our gourmet OTTAWA BURGER & A PINT special for only $17.95. Think of it as “devouring” the competition!

Oct. 14: GOLD MEDAL “PINTS.” The Bushwakker has been invited to participate in a celebration of the best in Canadian beer being held at the Delta Regina Marriott.Gold Medal Pints is an invitation-only showcase and cross-Canada beer competition. A national panel of beer experts headed by global beer authority and World Atlas of Beer co-author, Stephen Beaumont, has chosen our PALLISER PORTER as among the top five beers in our region.

Oct. 19: HEALTH SCIENCE PUB. Post-Traumatic Stress & Public Safety: Breaking the Silence, Challenging the Stigma. Our wildly popular Science Pub Series has returned for a sixth incredible season! Enjoy lectures on scientific topics of general interest in our Arizona Room (main floor banquet room) over beer and snacks. The room opens at 5:00 PM and quite often is full by 6:00 PM. Avoid disappointment and come down early for dinner and a pint before the presentation which begins at 7:00 PM. This month's lecture will be presented by Dr. Nick Carleton, Professor of Psychology, University of Regina and Dr. Nick Jones, Associate Professor of Justice Studies, University of Regina. Nick Carleton will showcase the recently released results of the national survey assessing the mental health of first responders and other public safety personnel. This data shows that PTSD poses a serious concern for the health of public safety workers. Nick Jones will discuss the potential implications of these results in terms of how we train public safety personnel and how we provide ongoing support. In both instances the talks will highlight some of the structural factors that may be influencing public safety mental health.

Oct. 28: ANNUAL CELTIC HALLOWE’EN PARTY. Win a $100 Bushwakker gift card in our costume contest; enjoy a pint of GREAT PUMPKIN SPICED BROWN ALE, devilishly delicious food specials and great live Celtic music with one of Regina’s newest Celtic bands, WEST OF MABOU. One of CBC Saskatchewan's 2017 Artists to Watch, West of Mabou performs lively dance music steeped in the rich traditions of Scottish and Cape Breton fiddle and pipe tunes. The band unites the talents of Scott Benson (fiddle), Roberta Wallace (fiddle), Alex Rasmussen (pipes/whistles), Justin Easton (guitar), and Jared Dormer (drums). Each of the members is an experienced performer in their own right, having performed at festivals, competitions, pubs, and ceilidhs around the world, including the World Pipe Band Championships, Canmore Highland Games, Western Canadian Music Awards, Canada Cup of Curling, and Ford World Men's Curling Championships. Band starts at 8:00 PM. Costume contest at 9:30 PM. $5 cover charge in effect. To get a taste of West of Mabou’s talents visit this link: https://youtu.b e/AyvO-KZVRk0

Oct. 29: TICKETS TO THE BUSHWAKKER 29TH SINGLE MALT SCOTCH TASTING EVENT GO ON SALE AT NOON! Come get in line early! Last year all 150 tickets sold out in only 35 minutes!

Pumpkin beers can be an oddly divisive topic. Maybe it’s because some end up on shelves when you’re still sweating in the summer heat. Or maybe it’s because you simply don’t like pumpkin — and you definitely don’t want those flavors wafting from your pint glass.

Maybe you’re part of the crowd that’s cool with pumpkin beers, but you’re more impressed when you find one that puts an unexpected spin on a traditional favorite. Fall 2017 is producing some offbeat pumpkin beers that go beyond the standard pumpkin ale. Here are a few of the imaginative ones you can seek out this fall.

Head brewer Chris Davison says #DAVEDOESNTKNOW started out as a way to rib One Line Coffee’s owner, Dave, who told Wolf’s Ridge he didn’t like pumpkin beers.

“Dave made mention of how much he disliked pumpkin flavored things — and especially pumpkin flavored coffee,” Chris says. “Of course I decided to secretly infuse his coffee into my pumpkin ale. At the event, we unveiled the beer to Dave. He was surprised at how well it turned out and said he ‘doesn’t hate it,’ which was a compliment.”

Rumpkin | Avery Brewing Company | Boulder, CO
Rumpkin has been part of Avery’s fall seasonal releases since 2011, when it kicked off the brewery’s annual barrel series. This big pumpkin ale is aged in fresh rum barrels, which adds oak and candied molasses flavors, for a big, bold taste. The ABV changes each year, but it’s never subtle, always falling somewhere between 15-18% ABV.

Pumpkin Nitro | Wasatch Brewing | Park City, UT
Wasatch Brewing’s Pumpkin Nitro is a malty amber ale with a hint of pumpkin. The twist here is Wasatch puts it on nitro, which adds a creaminess they say “tastes like pumpkin pie with whip cream to top it off.” If you like pumpkin beers, then this is a must try. Pumpkin lovers can also check out Black O’ Lantern, Wasatch’s pumpkin stout.
Fluffy Pumpkin Toasted Marshmallow Pumpkin Porter | Odyssey Beerwerks | Arvada, CO
Fluffy Pumpkin has a rich chocolatey porter base with toasted marshmallow and pumpkin essence. This is the fifth year Odyssey is releasing this fall seasonal.

Co-founder Chris Hill says Fluffy Pumpkin is “the little beer that could.” Originally they’d planned it as a one-off to “appease our ardent fans who were clamoring for a seasonal pumpkin beer.” Several area beer bar owners and influencers were at release day, who all demanded kegs of their own.

“Being a new brewery, and being keen on new sales, we brewed a larger batch to supply four 1/2 barrel kegs to those establishments,” Chris tells CraftBeer.com. “Those four kegs garnered enough positive response for Odyssey to brew a full, 15 barrel batch the following fall season. Every drop that wasn’t allocated to the tap room was sold before it left the fermenters. We had a hit on our hands.”

Isle of MaGourdo Pumpkin Spice Ale | Due South | Boynton Beach, FL
Isle of MaGourdo is a 5.5% amber ale brewed with a blend of pumpkin pie spices. Due South says this amber ale has enough malt backbone to stand up to the sweetness of the pumpkin pie spices, so you still feel like you’re drinking a beer — even if the aromas remind you of the pies your grandma used to make.

Atomic Pumpkin Ale | New Belgium Brewing | Fort Collins, CO
If you’re looking for a little sweet and a little heat, you’ve come to the right place. New Belgium Brewing is adding Atomic Pumpkin Ale to its lineup this fall. Brewed with Saigon cinnamon and Habanero peppers, Atomic Pumpkin Ale starts out sweet and finishes spicy with a little bitterness in between.

“Atomic Pumpkin is a twist on pumpkin ale for beer drinkers who like some heat,” explains New Belgium’s Bryan Simpson. “Classic fall flavors like pumpkin pie and cinnamon offer a sweet counterpart to the fiery peppers.”

Jav-O-Lantern | Crooked Hammock | Lewes, DE
Lewes, Delaware’s Crooked Hammock brewing is typically known for its breezy beers to fit the beachside lifestyle. But this fall, the brewery is starting a series called the Dark Side of Hammock, and one of its first offerings is Jav-O-Lantern, a smoked pumpkin ale.

The brewers smoked fresh pumpkin for several hours in a smoker, then added it during the mash process. They also added dark roasted coffee and pumpkin spices throughout the brewing and fermentation process.

Sour Pumpkin Ale | Hi-Wire Brewing | Asheville, NC
Sour Pumpkin Ale is a new release from Asheville’s Hi-Wire Brewing. All the vegetables and additives were sourced from Asheville’s Rayburn Farm, including the pumpkins, cinnamon basil and blue ginger. After a 10-month fermentation, brewers bottled Sour Pumpkin Ale, and it’ll be available in early September at the brewery’s South Slope location. You can find a few bottles in their distribution area, too.

Our Great Pumpkin Spiced Brown Ale will be officially released on Saturday, October 7 at 11:00 AM but you can get an advance preview of our 2017 offering at the October edition of First Firkin Friday at The Bushwakker!

TIME OUT – NO PUMPKINS

A stock boy is stacking fruit on a display, when a lady asks "Do you have any pumpkins?"
The stock boy replies "Sorry ma'am, we are out of pumpkins, but we will be getting a shipment tomorrow morning."
The lady looks around some more. A few minutes later she runs back to him asking where the pumpkins are.
The stock boy confused about her mental state simply tells her "Sorry ma'am, we are out of pumpkins, but we will be getting a shipment tomorrow morning."
The lady looks around some more then goes back to the same stock boy and asks "Where the hell do you keep the pumpkins, I need some pumpkins right now!"
The stock boy, getting frustrated with his inability to explain the situation, tells the lady, "Answer a couple of questions and I will get you your pumpkins from the back."
The lady agrees and the boy starts the questions.
"Spell cat for me, as in catastrophe." She says, “Ok, C - A – T."
“Very good!" the stock boy says, "Now spell dog, as in dogmatic."
The lady getting frustrated spells it correct. Now the stock boy finally asks "now spell Fuc, as in pumpkins."
She replies "There is no F**k in pumpkins!"
To which the stock boy replies "THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU THE WHOLE TIME!"

Soup & Sandwich Special is $12.95. All hot specials are $15.95, except where noted, & include a serving of soup du jour, house, or Caesar salad.